Contribution to the scientific advancement :

1. Our group, for the first time suggested that whole grain and bran of finger and kodo millets supplementation could protect from high-fat diet induced lipid derangements and inflammatory status. 2. Millets supplementation could beneficially modulate gut bacteria and protects from high-fat diet induced metabolic alterations. 3. This is the first experimental evidence on the protective role of these millets in diet induced obesity (DIO).

Current area of research:

Recent studies suggested a link between obesity and gut microflora. Proinflammatory “Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)” originating from Gram negative bacteria translocate to the circulation causing low grade inflammation (endotoxemia) associated with obesity. Our research goal is to develop functional foods based on millets and its bioactives, dietary fibers, prebiotics, probiotics and other functional ingredients from different plant sources that could beneficially modulate gut microflora and protect from inflammation underlying obesity and metabolic syndrome. We use diet induced obese rodent models, nutrigenomic and metagenomic approach for evaluating the efficacy of bioactive ingredients and functional foods.